An “elite” former US Air Force officer and combat pilot was arrested Wednesday over allegations he spent years overseas training Chinese military pilots.

Gerald Eddie Brown, Jr., 65, was arrested in Jeffersonville, Ind., and charged with providing and conspiring to provide defense services to Chinese military pilots without authorization, in violation of the Arms Export Control Act (AECA).

“The United States Air Force trained Major Brown to be an elite fighter pilot and entrusted him with the defense of our Nation. He now stands charged with training Chinese military pilots,” Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Eisenberg said in a statement.

“When US persons – whether military or civilian – provide training to a foreign military, that activity is illegal unless they have a license from the State Department,” Eisenberg added. “The National Security Division will use all tools at its disposal to protect our military advantages and hold to account those who would violate the AECA.”

Brown, who went by the call sign “Runner,” led combat missions, commanded sensitive units, was responsible for nuclear weapons delivery systems and served as a pilot instructor for a variety of aircraft during his 24 years of service in the Air Force, according to the Justice Department.

He trained US military pilots on how to fly the A-10 Warthog, F-4 Phantom II, F-15 Eagle, F-16 Fighting Falcon and the highly advanced F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter, among other aircraft.

Around August 2023, Brown used a co-conspirator to negotiate a contract with a Chinese national to train military pilots for the People’s Republic of China (PRC), according to the criminal complaint against him.

The Chinese national, Stephen Su Bin, had previously pled guilty to conspiring to steal sensitive US military data from US defense contractors and his company was listed by the US government as a known entity of the Chinese government.

Throughout negotiations, Brown “consistently stated his intent to train PRC military pilots in combat aircraft operations,” according to the DOJ.

“Now…. I have the chance to fly and instruct fighter pilots again!” Brown allegedly wrote in a message to his co-conspirator when he arrived in China in December 2023.